Nail distributors



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 s A. MAKovsKl ETAL NAIL DISTRIBUTORS March 22, 1960 Filed Jan. 4, 1957 Step/zen A Maroz/s/fi Robert C Qua/*ming m .m n e w I March 22, 1960 s. A. MAKovsKl ETAL 2,929,066

NAIL DISTRIBUTORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4. 1957 March'ZZ, 1960 s. A. MAKovsKl ETAL 2,929,066

NAIL DISTRIBUTORS Filed Jan. 4, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 NAIL DISTRIBUTORS Stephen A. Makovski and Robert Charles Quarmby, v Leicester, England, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, NJ., and'Boston, Mass., a corporation of New Jersey Y A Appncaaonptanuary `4, 1957, serial No. 632,516 i Claims priority, application Great Britain January 13, 1956 This invention relates to nail distributors of the general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No; 2,604,624 which was granted July 29, 1952 on an application tiled in the names of Wallace M. Cutler et al. and which discloses a carrier having a plurality of nailways mounted for horizontal vibration in a fixed frame, an eccentric which is mounted for vibrating movement in* the carrier and the throw of which may be.,varied, and an inertia device through which the vibrations of the eccentric are imparted to the carrier.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an 2,929,066 niatented Mar. 2a.196q

which has an upwardly extending rear portion 'to which *A the upper ends of rear yleaf springs 22 arey secured by in said Patent jNo. 2,604,264. The carrier 26 vhas se-V screws 24. The lower ends of the leaf springs 22 are secured by screws 25 to a rear portion of a carrier 26 having upper and lower nailways V28, 28a respectively which are substantially identical with nailways disclosed cured to its Yfront end a depending bracket 26a. the lower end of lwhich has secured to it by screws 30 theiower end portions of front leaf springs 32 whichare securedk v at their upper ends to the mainframe 20 by screws; 34.l

It will thus be apparent that the carrier 26 and, accordinglythe upper and lower nailways 28, 28a are support-A ed for horizontal reciprocation lor vibration generally lengthwise of thenailways, excessive movement of the carrier onthe leaf'- springs 22, 32 being prevented by l dampening means hereinafter described.

improved nail distributor of the type above referred to. v

The present invention consists in improved stops for limiting movement of nails down nailways of the 'carrier when leading nails resting partly in said nailways and partly in passages of a nail roll, which is rotatable in the carrier, are being dumped from the nailways. This inventionalso consists in improved stops for orienting leading double-pointed nails, which are in the. passages of the nail roll and rest partly in the lower ends of the nailways, about their axes, said stop also serving to limit movement of said double-pointed nails along said passages and nailways. The present invention further consists in novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention selected for purposestof illustra'-v tion, said invention being fully disclosed in the following description and claims. w

In the accompanying drawings, i

Fig. 1 is a view showing the upper portion ofthe nail distributor in said elevation and the low'er portionof the distributor in vertical longitudinal section asvviewed from just inside a right side cover plate of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan vi W, partly broken away, of the distributor; Y

,'Fig. 3 shows, partly in side elevation and partly in section on the line .III-III of Fig. 4, a frictional arrangement which is adapted to control the amountY of vibration of a nail carrier of the distributor and which may be substituted for a similar friction arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a View on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows in plan a stop bar which may be substituted foracorresponding stop bar of the nail distribu torgillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in order to equip said on an application filed in thename of Lawrence Mawbey; and v Y rig. 6 is a section n `the une vi-vi of Fig. 2 showingtwo rotatable unbalanced shafts which are mounted in and effect vibration of the nail carrier.

VThe illustrative nail distributor comprises a main frameJ 2Qwhich isadapted to be secured to a mainframe'tnot shown) of Ya wood heel nailing machine, for example, and

driving pulley52 is securedto a shaft-68 which is rotaia-.

Journaled for rotation in ball bearings mounted in the carrier 26 are identical upper and lower shafts 36, 38 having unbalanced weighted portions 36a, 33a respectively the centers of gravity of which are arranged equal distances from axes of rotation 40, 42 respectively of the shafts.'` Secured to the upper and lower shafts 36,' 38 are identical fibre pinions 44, 46 respectively which are in meshing relation with each other and Vcause theV shafts to rotate in opposite directions at the'lsame speed. lThe upper and lower shafts 36, 38, which may befdefined aS weighted unbalanced shafts., are so arranged that during` v their rotation their center'sof gravity'or massare at all times arranged vertically opposite each other, said nshafts being'otsetlSO fromr each other about Vtheir axesJ re-` spectivelyglgThe lower shaft 38 has secured to it. a pulley 48 drivenby a belt 50 which passes around a drive pulley v52, an `idler pu1ley4 which is journaled'upon a'bearjv ing pinw56'rriountdiupon thel main frame 20, and an idler pulley 458 which is journaled on`a-bearing pin60 carried by a bar '62 pivoted on a stud 64 secured to the main frame. A tensionfspring66 has its upperv and lower ends attached respectively to the'bar 62 and tothe main frame -20'alnd serves to keep the belt 50 taut. The

bly mounted in they mainframe 20 and has secured rto it a worm 70 meshing with a worin wheel 72 whichis keyed to a shaft 74 ,rotatably mounted in said main frame. `Secured to the shaft 74 isl a grooved wheel 76 which, invcooperation with an idler grooved wheel 78, rotatably ysupports a drum Siladapted to hold nails 82 in bu'llcrand to drop them into the upper nail raceways 28. The shaftw68 hasat its left end, as viewed from the front of the machine, a pulley y84 by which the shaft may be rotated, the unbalanced weighted shafts-36, 38

' preferably being rotated at about 1200 r.p.m.

'l'he construction and arrangement of the unbalanced weightedv shafts 3638 and the directions of their rotatlon 1s such that their simultaneous forward and rear or horizontal components of movement cause, by centrifugal action, the carrier 20 and its nailways 2S, 28a, to reciprocate or vibrate horizontally `and generally lengthwisegofsaid nailways. The construction and arrangement/ of the unbalancedfweighted yshafts 36, 38,'-

w'hich may, be referred to as unbalanced weights, is such that A'the vertical components of unbalanced force of eachof the .weighted shafts, acting through its ,centerfof gravity, is'equal to and in an opposite direction from the' vertical vcomponent of unbalanced force of.v the otherw weighted shaft actingthrough its center of gravity.Vv Accordingly there is little, if any, tendency for the carrier 1 fro in-a ihorizontalpath. The above describedarraiige."

2,0 and its nailways 28, 28a to move or vibrate-'vertically and thus vdislodge the nails 82 in Ysaid guideways', `the construction and speed ofthe unbalanced shafts 36,f3. 8 being "such, hat the carrieris moved about%fto`,andl

riiiii lfor operating the carrier 20 includes relatively few moving parts and the leaf spring supporting arrangement for vthe carrier provides a free running arrangement with a little 'vibration and a minimum amount of noise and Ween The illustrative distributor may be said to comprise ineansusuch, for example, as 'the unbalanced `shafts or weights 36,` 38 which are ixedly journaled for rotation in the carrier 26 and which ,duringsaidrro'tation have their combined center of gravity reciprocated or vibrated the carrier harmonically in a path extending generally horizontally or lengthwise of the nailways 28, 28a. The unbalanced weights or shafts 36, 38 may be described as being moved or rotated by power in the carrier 26 in tired paths, components of centrifugal forces entending generally horizontally or lengthwise ofl ,the nailways 28a and produced by movement orl rotation of the shafts or weights in thejcairiervbeingequal and additive to clause reciprocation or vibration offthecarrier horif zontally or generally lengthwise" of' the*I nailways and components of said forces which `extend vertically or heightwisey of the hallways andare produced by movernent of the shafts or weights in the carrier being equal 4and opposite and thus insuring against any substantial vertical movement or vibration of the carrier. The axes 40; 42 aboutwhich the unbalanced shafts or weights 36,

38 are'v rotatedy may be described as being parallelV and arranged substantially in a vertical plane or inaplane disposed at substantially right angles tolsaidA ailways 28, 28a, the `centers of gravity ofl `saiiilshafts or weights during their rrotatior'r being arranged in vertical alinetnent as they are displacedharmonically generally lengthwise ofl the nailways with relation tothecarrier. nails. 82 are delivered head first to a discharge or inverting roll 86 of the carrier 26 said ,carrier having agap 88 corresponding to the *gap (390) of the nail distributor disclosed in 'said Ylratdnt' No; 2,604,624 and having ari adjustable b alnc; vbai-V 90 corresponding tothe bar, "(386) ef such distributes. Thedisharge i911 $6 isj presided with passages 9,2 and is vsimilar to the rll (1341 dis-A closed in said Patent No. 2,604,624;` the lroll being operi ated by means hereinafter described. The' nail dist'ribntn'ik also has in from ofthe diseaafgeru 86 a aan step' 9.4

which corresponds to stop (4674) described in said Patent VNO. 2,604,624 and is adaptedl to stop length2 wise movement of the nails when they have entered said i011: v j The balancing bar-9l0 entends across; the front eiidf the upper nailways 28 land ismslidingly mounted along inwardly extending facesse, ssa of siaeplates sans@ respectively, of the carrier 20'. The balancingbarl90 has at each of its lateral portions'a forwardly and earf" wardly extending row of teeth which are vengaged on an adjusting shaft 122 rotatably mounted in the side plates 98 98a of the carrier 26; The shaft 122 has secured to it aV hand wheel 124 by which the shaft may be rotated and the spring lingers or stops initially adjusted toward and away from the discharge roll 86 or lengthwise of the lower nailways 28a in accordance with the length of the nails 82 being handled. The springvngers or stops 110 may be described as being movablel` between projected positions in which lthey prevent-movement of theunails down the lower nailways 28a and retracted positions in which they allow thenails to move down said nailwaysinto the discharge roll 86.

VThe shaft 112 'has secured to its right-hand end an arm 126 whichghasyiixed to it a pin 128 engaging in a slot 130 in a lever 132 supported by parallel links 134 pivoted for vertical movement onrlbearing studs of the carrier. The lever 132 isv operatively connected by `a pin 136 to the lower link 134 and to the rear portion of a lever 138 the forward end portion of which has formed in it a slot 140 which is engaged by a pin 142 carried by an arm 144 secured to' the discharge roll 86. The lever 138 has pivoted to it, nearer to the pin 136 than to the' slot 140, the upper portion of a link 146 a lower end portion of which is pivoted to an arm 148 secured to a shaft 150 rotatably mounted in the side plate 98 of the carrier 26. Also secured to the shaft 150 is an arm .152 to which is pivoted the upper end of a rod 154; The

varm 148 is constantly Vurged clockwise, as viewed in Fig.

y in their raised or retracted positionsand the discharge roll 86 in a position in which the passages 92 'of the roll are aligned with the lower; nailways 28a for receiving nails from the nailways, this position of the roll being adjustable by the use of a screw which is threaded into a lug ofthe arm 144 and is normally held by the spring 156 in engagement with a lug 162 of the carrier 26, The .construction is such that when the rod 154 is lowered the spring lingers 110 are moved to their project'edpositions into engagement with .the second line of nails in the lower nailways 28d before the discharge roll 86 is rotated, to ydeliver nails in the passages 92 there- Vof into a conduit 164, hereinafter referred to, and when attaching machine with which the illustrative distributor ey teeth 1oz on a baiaacingear adjusting: shaft 104 rotatably mounted in the side plates 98 9,821 of the carrier 20. The shaft 104 has secured on it hand wheel 106 by lwhich it may be rotated to adjust the balancing bar 90 toward or from the upper nailway 28` in ac :or`d ance with the length of the nailsbeing used. Between the hand wheel 186 and the adjacent side plate 98 of the carrier is a spring 108 which frictionally prevents movement' of the balancing bar 90 from its adjusted position.

v'Mounted upon the carrier 26 are a plurality off al'ined spring lingers or nail stops110, one foreach of thelower: r'aceways 28a. The forward portions l of ,the v,lingers 110` `are arranged to be movedk into engagement with nails 82 next to those nails which have passed into the passages 92 of thedischarge roll to` hold such nails'jfrom' moving along the lower nailwys while the nails4 in the rll are being discharged. The spring fingers I Illai'e secured on a shaft 112 rotatably mounted in bearing blocks v114 which are slidingly mounted in Vguidelways 1'16 of the side platesy 98, 98a of the carrier v26. Y Outer upper ,faces ofthe bloclrs 114 are provided with raclgI teeth k118 which are engaged by gear teeth 12()A formed is being used, the ,arrangement being su'ch thatV the distributor delivers the nails 82 to a loader block (not shown) of the machine at a suitable time which may be during actual operation of the machine or between successive operations thereof. If desirable, the rod "1'54' maybe connected to a manually actuated lever or treadle (not shown). v Y Theleft end portion of the -nail discharge roll 86,'as viewed from the frontl of the machine, has a reduced threaded portion on which is threaded a collar 166 tar ranged to be locked in adjusted position by a locknut 1.68, said collar being cut away to form a channel adapted to be engaged by a' rear -arm of a hand lever 170 pivoted `on a bearing screw A172 secured to the side plate 98a of the carrier 26.'. The' from arm of 'the hand lever 17o sa has formed on it a thumb piece 174 by depression of which the rear: arm of the lever may be raised out of the channel againstthe'action of a spring 176 opposite ends of Y,which are connected respectively to the rear arm of the lever and to the side plate 98a of theu carrier and which normally holds said rear arm in engagement with the channel. With the lever in engagement with: the channel in the co1la'r'166, and the locknut 168 slackened, ythe collar may be rotated to adjustcthe discharge 1:01186 lengthwise. bringing the nail receiving passages 92 thereof into alinement with associated lower nail-l ways 28a. When the rear arm of the lever 170 has been raised out of the channel in the collar 166 the dis-V` 186 on a shaft -188 rotatably mounted in the side plates' 98, 98a of the carrier 26; The' shaft 188 has -securedon it a hand wheel 190 by which it may be rotated to ad# just the bar 178 forwardly and vrearwardly along the guideways 182 in accordance with the'length of the nails being used.

The rear face of the bar 178 is usually planar, as above explained, but'if nails 192 (Fig. 5), which -have a point 194 and a bevel face 196 at each of their ends and are disclosed in said Patent No. 2,768,379, are to be handled in the distributor there may be provided in place of said bar a bar 198 having extending inwardly from its rear face -a series of recesses 200 (one for each raceway) extending from kthe top to the bottom of the bar. Each recess 200 vhas a planar side face 202 which is inclined to a planar end face 204 of the recess,l said side faces being arranged at such an angle to the path of movement of the nails as they travel down the lower nailways 28av and through the passages 92 that they are engaged vby bevel faces 196 of the nails and the nails are so oriented that their bevel faces are arranged vertically. The nails 192 which follow the leading nails in the lower nailways 28a are oriented into positions in which their bevel faces 196 are vertically arranged by reason of the engagement of theirY forward ends with the rear ends of the leading nails and are thus prevented from overriding the leading nails. The planar side face 282 of each of the recesses 200 may be defined as being vertical (that is plumb)l and asy positioned adjacent to and arranged opposite the exit end of an associated passage 92 of the inverting roll 86 in its nail receiving position, and as being inclined at a slight angle to an axis of the ass ciated passage 92.

The nails 82 or 192, asthey drop from the nail discharge roll 86, fall-down the conduits-t 164 and into exible tubes 206 to a foot plate (not shown) from which they are transferred as a gang to a nailing die (not shown) of the heel attaching machine by a loader block (not shown). The conduits 164 are formed by a bracket 208 which is secured to the front of the main frame 2,0 of the distributor and a cover 210 pivoted to said bracket. The bracket 208 has secured to it a bar 212 which has extending into its front end a number of recesses (not shown) spaced apart by distances equal tothe distances respectively between the lower nailways 28u.y Supported inthe recesses of the 'oar 212 are the tubes 206 each of which has at its upper end a flange on a suitably formed step of an associated recess. The-tubes 206 are held in the-recesses of the bar 212 by a coil spring 214 which extends across the tubes and opposite ends of which are attached to the bar. The cover 210 which is pivotally mounted at 216 to the bracket 208 is held against the bracket by threaded bolts 218 pivoted on said bracket and extending through carrier are likely to occur if the normal to and fro'- movements of said carrier caused by its driving mech" Beg-anse of the manner in-whieh the 'carrier' 26 nafs drivingfmechanisrn are supportedby the leaf springs 22,'v

32 excessive horizontal to and "fro movements 'of' the anism are interrupted, for example, by undue vibrations of the heel attaching machine or by reason of the carrier being engaged by a foreign object. To overcome these excessive vibrations and return the to and fro movementV of the carrier 26 to normal there is provided the hereinafter described dampening device which comprises U-v shaped blocksv 224 (Fig. 2) secured respectively to the side plates98,`V 98ay of the carrier 26. Each block 224 has formed in it aforwardly and rearwardly extending" slot or bore 226 through which extends a bolt`228 whichhas ahead vand has slidingly mounted on ita collar'230.'

The collar 230 and the head of the bolt 228 are compressed against opposing surfaces of the block 224 by'. a spring 232 which is mounted on the bolt and opposite ends of which engage respectively the collar and a nut 234 threaded onto the bolt.` Mounted at opposite sidesv of the main fr ame20 for fore and aft adjustment are brackets 236each having a pair of opposed parallel stop` faces or `stops`238. 'The' bolt 228, the collar 230, theV spring -232 and the nut 234 may be said to constitutea slide unit.:l Each of the brackets 236 has a threaded bore' for receiving a screw 240 (Fig. l) Vpassing through a slot 242 inthe main frame 20 and threadedinto the bracket are a pair of elongated adjusting screws 244,y the construction being such that the brackets may be initially set in diterent adjusted positions on the vframe 20with the `stop faces 238 arranged invertical rela- .i tion.v The brackets 236 are so set in the main frameA 20 that there is just room forthecollar 230 to move with the carrier 26, as it Ymoves normally to andfro, without touching the faces 238. Should the amplitude of vibration of the carrier 26 become excessive the collar 230 will engage rst onev and then the other of the stop" faces 238 of the brackets 236 and its movement willZ be stopped thereby, frictional engagement of the collar andthe head of. the bolt 228 with the bracket 224 tending to slow down or reduce the movement of the carrier. Such action -will continue until the carrier 26 once'more moves normally to and fro. The frictional engagement of the collars 230 with the brackets 224 is effective inv or bore 250 for receiving a collar or dampener 252 which is provided kwith a anged portion/,254 adapted to engage the bracket and which has mountedslidinglyfon it a fricf tion ring 256. The flange portion 254 of the collar 252 and the lfriction ring 256 are pressed' against the bracket .t by a spring 258 opposite ends of which are in engagenotches 220 in the ends respectively of the cover. When ment respectivelyv with the friction `ring and a washer 260 secured to the collar by a screw 262. Secured to and forming part of the carrier 26 is `a bracket 264 having a depending pin or projection 266 which extends into a recess 268 formed in the collar 252. The recess-268 is about Mz" larger than the diameter of the pin 266 and allows said pin to move to and fro with the carrier 26 during its to and fro movements without `touching the sides of the recess. Should the carrier 26, however, set up excessive vibration the arrangement operates in a similar manner as that described to bring the to and fro movements of the carrier 26 back to normal.

The bolt 228 and the collar 230 on ythe one hand and the collar 252 and the friction ring 256 on the other hand may be defined as friction means adapted to be carried by the carrier 26 to regulate the amount of vibrationpf the carrier, and the U- shaped blocks y22 1 a ngl t l 1e meansfor controlling Vtheamp1itude of vibration ofthe carrier 26 may be described as being radapted to bear frictionally on the carrier or as comprising friction means for darnpening or limiting the amount of vibration ef the carrier in opposite directions, and means forpositively limiting the amount of vibration of the carriery in saidA opposite directions. e.

The dampening devicemay als'obe described as com prising a slide unit adapted to allow the Vcarrier 276,10 befreely moved or vibrated a predetermineddistance in opposite directions and to be resistingly moved bythecarrier when the carrier is moved in saidopposite directions adistance greater than said predetermined distance, stops formed by opposite ends of the slot 250 being provided for positively limiting movement of the slide unit in said opposite directions. The modified slide4 unit shown in Figs. 3 and 4 includes the spring actuated friction ring 256 which is adapted to cause this slide unit to be pressed against the frame 246 and accordingly yieldingly to resist movement of the carrier 26 when saidcarrier is reciprocated in said opposite directions a distance greater than said predetermined distance. The modilied dampening means shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may also be defined as having a recess 268 of suitable size to receive the p rojection 266 of the carrier 26 and to allow a predetermined amount of vibration of said projecton in, the recess without meetingresistance. The friction ring 256 may also 'b e said `to cause the collar 252 to resist movement of the projection 266 and accordingly the carrier when the vibration of the carrier becomes greater than a predetermined amount. v

Having thus described our invention, whatwe claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a nail distributor, a carrier having nailways, means for vibrating said carrier generally lengthwise of said nailways, a roll lfor receiving nails delivered by lthe nailways, stops which are mountedfor movement between projected positions in which they prevent movement of nails down said nailways and retracted positions in which they allow the nails to move down the nailways to said roll, mechanism for moving the stops from their retracted to their projected positions, mechanism for rotating said roll to dump nails therefrom, means for operating said iirstand second-named mechanisms in sequence whereby to operate said stops and thereafter to operate said roll, and means for initially adjustingsaid stops into different operative positions generally lengthwise of the nailways.

v2. In a nail distributor, a carrier having'A nailways, means for vibrating said carrier generally lengthwise of the nailways, a discharge roll for receiving` nails from the nailways, bearing blocks which are mounted in the carrier, a shaft pivotally mounted in the bearing blocks,

stops which are secured to said shaft and are movable between retracted positions in which they are spaced substantial distances from the nailways to allow thenails to move down said nailways for reception by said roll and projected positions in which they prevent movement of the nails down the nailways, means for operating said shaft to move the stops from their retracted to their projected positions whereby to retain the nails againstmovement on the nailways, and for thereafter rotating theroll to dump nailsl from said roll, and means for Vinitially moving the bearing blocks into different adjusted positions in the'carrier to move said 'stops into .diierent operative positions lengthwise of the nailwa'ys;

3. ln a nail distributor, a carrier having a nailway, a discharge mcmberprovided withv a cylindrical pas.- sage `which has entrance and exit ends and is adapted to receive from the nailway a double pointed nail having beveled ends, means for moving said member-between:

nail receiving and nail discharging positions, and a nail stop having a vertical face which is positioned adjacent to and opposite the exit end of said cylindrical passage when said passage of said member is in its nail receiving position and which is inclined at a slight anglefto an axis of said passage, said face being adapted to be engaged by the leading beveled ends of the nails delivered into the passage of said member and to orient said nails about their axes as well as to position the nails lengthwise in said passage. f

4. In a nail distributor, a carrier having nailways, means for vibrating the carrier to cause double pointed nails having beveled ends to move along the nalways to exit ends thereof, a discharge roll having passages provided with entrance and exit ends, means for moving the roll between a nail receiving position in which said passages are in alinement with the exit ends of the nailways and a nail discharging position in which the nails are dumped from the roll, and a nail stop positioned adjacent to the exit end of the discharge roll and having a nail receiving end provided with a plurality of recesses side faces of which are vertically disposed and are inclined with relation to lengthwise dimensions of said passages when the roll is in its nail receiving position,

said faces being adapted to be engaged by the leading ends of the nails in the passages of the roll whereby tok limit movement of said nails in said passages and to orient the nails in said passages about their axes respectively to positions in which the beveled ends of the nails are vertically arranged.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mulcahy Dec. 29, 19453 

